An defense minister has confirmed that the MoD is currently investigating the potential threats associated with Chinese-made vehicles, while staff have been told to avoid talking about classified matters in any vehicles.
Security Guidance for MoD Personnel
During a recent interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD staff have been told not to discuss secret information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “looking into” cars from China within its fleets, but noted that safety is a concern in every contemporary vehicles.
We have a collection of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones represent a very small number.
But regardless of if you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a car from another country, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their car, to avoid having conversations at a secret level in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of surveillance that are present in every single automobile, to restrict those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian intelligence vessel was reportedly directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, described as a “highly dangerous” action by government representatives.
The wider security situation underscores the importance of strong protocols and caution in all areas of government operations, from vehicle usage to communication habits.
